Eating utensil

ABSTRACT

Eating utensil apparatus has two stick members which are generally parallel. An integrally formed interconnecting joint portion has inward extending sections, downward extending leg sections and a cap section, which together with the stick members bend to permit juxtaposing the distal ends of the stick members by applying inward hand pressure to medial portions of the stick members and to urge the distal ends apart in the normally open position.

United States Patent 1 1 [111 3,892,435

Huey July 1, 1975 EATING UTENSIL 3,640,561 2/1972 Law 294/16 [76] Inventor: Shawn Huey, 410 Atkinson Dr.

4 1 Honohlu. Hawaii 9 4 Primary Exammer.|ames B. Marbert Assistant Examiner.lohnny D. Cherry [22] June Attorney, Agent, or Firm-James C. Wray [21] Appl. No.: 372,300

[57] ABSTRACT 2? 294/ Eating utensil apparatus has two stick members which E 1 g 99 R 5 are generally parallel. An integrally formed interconnecting joint portion has inward extending sections, downward extending leg sections and a cap section, which together with the stick members bend to permit [56] References cued juxtaposing the distal ends of the stick members by ap- UNITED STATES PATENTS plying inward hand pressure to medial portions of the 348,717 9/1886 Bradbury 294/33 stick members and to urge the distal ends apart in the 1,123,988 1/1915 Brown 294/33 normally open position. 3,186,749 6/1965 Dawes... 294/16 3,50l ,191 3/1970 Darr 294/16 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures EATING UTENSIL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Stick-like eating utensils in which food is picked up between opposed distal ends of sticks held in a single hand are well known. Chopsticks are used widely throughout the world and are universally used in the Orient. Proper techniques for the use of chopsticks in selecting and lifting and cutting food portions and holding morsels are difficult to learn. Devices have been proposed for simplifying the use of chopsticks. Typical of those devices are thin flat springs bent in a U-shape and having ends configured for attaching to the chopsticks. Such devices have proved unsatisfactory in that the connections require continued tension and adjustmentor are cumbersome in use. The connections of the springs are usually at places which receive the most activity in the hand, causing discomfort and injury after prolonged use. The known springs do not permit the movement of chopsticks in a conventional manner since in order to be effective, the known springs require outward movement of at least portions of the chopsticks beyond conventional chopstick movement limitations. Some forms of known springs require unique movements of the sticks to avoid unusual compression of the springs. Some forms of the springs have little or no directional stability.

A collection of devices of the type known in the prior art is found in the Official US. Patent Office Classification of Patents, particularly in class 294, subclasses l6 and 99. Examples ofsuch devices are found in US. Pat. Nos. 3,637,248, 3,l86,749, 3,239,262 and 2,997,328.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an eating utensil generally referred to as chopsticks which has two generally parallel stick-like portions for engaging food at normally spaced distal ends and an integrally formed joint portion at the proximal ends.

The joint portion in a preferred embodiment comprises inward extensions on the proximal ends of the stick members and parallel leg sections which extend downward from inward termini of the extensions and a cap section which joins the leg sections remote from the extensions. The joint portion provides directional stability to the stick members while permitting the distal ends of the stick members to be juxtaposed such as to pick up food and while urging distal ends outward into a normally spaced relationship. The joint portion resiliently flexes to permit movement of the stick members.

In a preferred embodiment the joint portions and the stick members are constructed with generally rectangular cross sections which are generally commensurate. Preferably the cross sections are square or substantially square. Edges at intersections are rounded to promote flexibility and to distribute stresses and to prevent strain accumulation.

The stick members may be tapered over their entire length. Preferably the stick members are tapered from a medial portion toward the distal ends. Inner surfaces of the distal ends are flat, and outer surfaces of the distal ends are rounded.

One object of the invention is the provision of eating utensil apparatus having a pair of stick members connected by a spring-like integrally formed joint means at one end of the members.

Another object of the invention is the provision of eating utensil apparatus comprising a pair of stick-like members integrally joined at their proximal end for holding the stick-like members in substantially parallel normal position and for permitting inward movement of the distal ends of the members toward each other.

Another object of the invention is the provision of eating utensil apparatus having substantially stick-like members integrally formed with a joint which has inward extensions on proximal ends of the stick-like members, downward extending legs, extending from the inward termini of the inward extensions downward partially toward the distal ends, and a cap which connects the lower termini of the leg members, thereby forming spaces between the leg members and the stick members whereby the joint may be flexed to permit inward movement of the distal ends of the stick members toward each other.

These and other objects and features of the invention are apparent in the disclosure, which includes the drawings and the specification with the foregoing and ongoing description and with the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of the eating utensil apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the eating utensil apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan of the eating utensil shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the eating utensil shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the eating utensil shown in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the Figures, an eating utensil apparatus is generally referred to by the numeral 1. The apparatus has stick-like members normally held in spaced generally parallel relationship with distal ends 3 separated. Outer surfaces 4 of the distal ends are rounded so as not to injure a mouth of a user. Inner surfaces 5 of distal ends 3 are flat to aid in gripping food morsels.

Ends of the proximal portions 6 of the stick-like members 2 are integrally formed with joint means, generally indicated by the numeral 10. The joint means include inward extensions 12 which extend toward each other from proximal ends of the stick members. The inward extensions have relatively long upper surfaces 14 and short lower surfaces 16.

Legs 18 extend downward from inner termini of extensions 12. The legs have elongated inner and outer surfaces which are spaced from each other and from the inner surfaces of the stick members, respectively, to provide flexibility to the joint 10. A cap 20 connects the ends of legs 18 remote from extensions 12. The cap section 20 has a short inner wall 22 and a relatively long outer wall 24. Spaces 26 between the outer walls of the legs and inner walls of the proximal portions of the stick members permit flexure of sections of the integrally formed joint and the stick means so that the distal ends can be juxtaposed. Space 28 between the leg sections 18 can be small, since the space tends to widen as the distal ends 3 are moved toward each other.

In a preferred embodiment, the stick members and joint means are generally square in cross section with rounding in the area of the distal ends. Sharp corners are rounded with small radii.

While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations of the invention may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, which is precisely defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. Eating utensil apparatus comprising a single, unitary, continuous generally square cross-section rod-like member formed in two elongated generally parallel first and second straight chop-stick members having spaced distal ends which may be moved toward each other and having joint means integrally formed at a proximal end, the joint means comprising a re-entrantly bent integrally formed portion which extends from a proximal end of the first stick member sequentially inward toward the second stick member and downward in a general direction of the distal ends and then extends over and upward then over toward a proximal end of the second stick member, where the portion is integrally connected with the second stick member, for permitting movement of the distal ends toward each other and for encouraging separation of the distal ends.

2. The apparatus of claim l wherein the distal ends have flat faces on inward facing sides and have rounded surfaces on outward facing sides.

3. The eating utensil apparatus of claim I wherein the joint means comprises inward extensions on proximal ends of the stick members spacedly terminating from each other and leg sections extending downward from the inward extensions spaced from each other and spaced from the stick members and a cap section connecting the leg sections remote from the inward extensions.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the chop-stick members and extensions and leg and cap sections of the integrally formed portion are rectangularly interconnected.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the corners of intersecting sections of the stick members and joint means are rounded.

l i i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No- 3 892 5 Dated July 1, 1975 Inventor(s) Shaun Huey It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The name of the patentee is Shaun Huey.

Signed and Scaled this T t-fit a 0 [SEAL] weny rs D y f September 1976 A ttest.

RUTH C. MASON Commissioner uj'PaIents and Trademarks 

1. Eating utensil apparatus comprising a single, unitary, continuous generally square cross-section rod-like member formed in two elongated generally parallel first and second straighT chop-stick members having spaced distal ends which may be moved toward each other and having joint means integrally formed at a proximal end, the joint means comprising a re-entrantly bent integrally formed portion which extends from a proximal end of the first stick member sequentially inward toward the second stick member and downward in a general direction of the distal ends and then extends over and upward then over toward a proximal end of the second stick member, where the portion is integrally connected with the second stick member, for permitting movement of the distal ends toward each other and for encouraging separation of the distal ends.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the distal ends have flat faces on inward facing sides and have rounded surfaces on outward facing sides.
 3. The eating utensil apparatus of claim 1 wherein the joint means comprises inward extensions on proximal ends of the stick members spacedly terminating from each other and leg sections extending downward from the inward extensions spaced from each other and spaced from the stick members and a cap section connecting the leg sections remote from the inward extensions.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the chop-stick members and extensions and leg and cap sections of the integrally formed portion are rectangularly interconnected.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the corners of intersecting sections of the stick members and joint means are rounded. 